“Ah, the air is so fresh.”

 

I squint at the sunrise, seeing a beautiful sea of clouds.

 

“We have a mission even though it’s a three-day weekend… Do we get a compensatory day off for this?”

 

“Yuu. Even if we get a day off, we’re students and can’t miss classes, so it doesn’t matter.”

 

“Damn it!”

 

Kotomi points this out, and I drop my shoulders.

 

Today, Kotomi and I are on a joint mission in a neighboring country.

 

“Well, think of it as a trip abroad during the long weekend, Yuu-sama. We wouldn’t usually get to visit such a remote place.”

 

“For me, a trip doesn’t feel like a trip unless I eat some delicious local food, like when we went to Okinawa.”

 

I mutter, biting into an energy bar-type combat ration as Hayami-san tries to comfort me.

 

The grand natural scenery is moving, but it doesn’t fill my stomach.

 

“Still, I never thought I’d have a mission walking through the wilderness with Kotomi.”

 

“It reminds me of our school field training.”

 

Kotomi refers to the time we were paired for the first time during an orienteering exercise in a forest filled with booby traps.

 

“Yes, back then, Kotomi was still the prickly student council member character.”

 

“I was surprised when you suddenly hugged me from behind… Honestly, when you whispered about the trap in my ear, it really got to me…”

 

“Hey, remember I’m your teacher. Both of you.”

 

As Kotomi looks at me seductively, Hayami-san stands in front of her.

 

“Right now, we’re on a special forces mission, so it’s inappropriate to bring up school roles, Lieutenant Hayami.”

 

Kotomi uses her special forces rank to try to control Hayami-san.

 

Technically, Kotomi is correct.

 

“No, this isn’t about military ranks; it’s an adult’s advice. You have a strange tendency to be overly forward, so you might just go for Yuu-sama. Especially now, with the girl in the music unit away.”

 

Hayami-san counters Kotomi with ethical reasoning.

 

It’s well-known that Mina and Hayami-san are like cats and dogs, but it’s surprising that even Kotomi and Hayami-san don’t get along…

 

“I’m happy to be working with both of you. You’re both excellent, so I have high expectations.”

 

“Yuu…”

 

“Yuu-sama…”

 

Their tense atmosphere eases with my words.

 

They say people move when praised.

 

If this saying had been on social media back then, I would have liked it.

 

“By the way, this joint mission with the special forces is quite rare, isn’t it?”

 

“Is it?”

 

“As far as I know, the only other time was the operation to capture the third capital of Europe. I teamed up with Dr. Kirigaya then. But she wasn’t a special forces member yet, I think?”

 

Dr. Kirigaya joined the special forces because of her achievements in that operation, so she wasn’t part of it then.

 

“We physically and systematically destroyed Europe’s financial and stock markets to bring economic collapse, right?”

 

“Exactly. Dr. Kirigaya handled the system hacks, and I was in charge of guarding her and the final physical destruction.”

 

“Thanks to that operation, the European front’s ceasefire was expedited by three years. Yuu-sama, you saved many Japanese soldiers’ lives and became a hero.”

 

“That was Dr. Kirigaya’s achievement. She took over Europe’s fiscal systems and stock markets, selling major companies’ stocks at dirt-cheap prices and buying enemy bonds crazily. It was chaos.”

 

Dr. Kirigaya seemed to enjoy it then…

 

As someone who’s bad with machines, I had no idea what she was doing and just watched.

 

“If they declared the transactions invalid, it would have led to war with the opposing countries. Either way, they couldn’t fund the war anymore. It was in the history books.”

 

Kotomi’s eyes sparkle.

 

As a diligent student, my first-hand account must have stimulated her curiosity.

 

“You can’t continue a war without money.”

 

When a country’s treasury is empty and it’s buried in debt, it can’t continue the war.

 

Well, someone like me, a one-man army, is the only exception. But not many countries have special forces like me.

 

“Hey, do you have any other behind-the-scenes stories from back then?”

 

“Well, I mostly remember Dr. Kirigaya being annoying when we first met. She was so annoying I considered leaving her on the battlefield.”

 

“Ahaha… true.”

 

Kotomi, who’s been working with Dr. Kirigaya recently, understands my pain.

 

She gives a wry smile and agrees with my sentiment.

 

“Originally, it was a covert operation, and we didn’t intend to capture the third capital. But Dr. Kirigaya kept messing with interesting machines and systems, attracting pursuers and almost turning it into urban warfare. I used a railgun to scare them off, and they surrendered with a white flag.”

 

“So, the third capital’s fall was incidental… History books praised their wise decision for a bloodless surrender, sparing many lives.”

 

“They probably phrased it that way to save face.”

 

History is often embellished during compilation.

 

People crave stories and meaningful outcomes.

 

In reality, decisions are often made on the spot without much thought.

 

“By the way, only Hinoura-san from the third seat is participating this time, right?”

 

“Our objective is to destroy the data center and wired communication cables of the enemy’s secret system. I’m enough for the destruction.”

 

It’s also to avoid losing both third-seat members in case something goes wrong.

 

“This is a test mission. The goal is to check our coordination, Hayami-san, Kotomi, and me.”

 

“Lieutenant Hayami’s teleportation is amazing. The drawback is it can only move one person at a time. Convincing her guard to stay behind was tough.”

 

“Ugh… that’s…”

 

Kotomi casually complains, but it’s a sensitive topic for Hayami-san, so I quickly change the subject.

 

“Still, why place a data center in such a remote mountain?”

 

“If they connect to the network, Dr. Kirigaya will immediately find them, and I’ll destroy them or she’ll steal their data. They’re desperate.”

 

“The neighboring country’s citizens are reportedly close to revolting due to the impact on their lives.”

 

“Then they might surrender soon. Let’s break their spirit thoroughly during this weekend mission.”

 

We discuss how our mission might significantly impact world affairs as we continue through the mountains.